Monday, July 7, 2008

Another week just gone. For a couple of reasons (excuses really!) it feels like the training didn't really happened. I did two sessions on the bike, one on the trainer, a race and a River Loop & coffee ride with Sandra and Mark, a good friend of ours. Just over 250 km kms in total, not enough training I am afraid...XXXOne of the rides was a little effort up to McAffes Lookout on Mt Nebo road. I consider it to be one the best training rides around here as the road climbs up and flattens four or five times before you get to the lookout. Great for some intervals and from there you can keep going and make it a 19 km ride to the Mt Nebo township (550 m) if you wish or turn around and head straight back (a 40+ km ride for us).XXXI chose to stop at the lookout this time. I rode hard but kept my HR at around 83% (161 bpm) and did the 6.5 km to the lookout in 17'40" (I think!). It didn't feel like I was going fast but it didn't feel like a struggle either.XXXhttp://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mt-Nebo111394XXXXI have done this ride so many times in the past, sometimes two or even three times in one week. It was great to be back there and to realise how good it is as a training ride. I will try to implement it to my new training program.XXXSaturday was race day. I got up early, had a light breakfast and headed out to meet friends for the ride to Lakeside. About six of us left Zupps just after 7, making it a good warm up session for the race ahead. I was feeling very good so I hit the front with Adam Harrison and pulled the group for most of the way. I even did an effort or two on the small inclines before getting to the circuit just to get the system ready for the race.XXXThere was about 16 of us in the 60 min A grade race, promising to be a fast and exciting race. And it was! From the word go the attacks started and within a few laps a breakaway group was formed. There were four of us for a lap, then a fifth came on just to get dropped again. A few other rides try to come across but they couldn't stay.XXXAt around 15 min a final group was established and I managed to be in it. The five of us rode pretty hard as we were all determined to make the gap bigger and bigger. That turned out to be a mistake for me. I kept going hard on the climb and started to struggle with still 30 min to go. A couple of laps later I looked at the computer and realised I wasn't going to survive another 20 min and I sat.XXXI waited for a group of 4 chasers (including Adam) and hoped that together we could pull the breakaway back. Bad news, I was a goner again after 3 or 4 laps. It was then a matter of just finishing the race. I ended up in eight place, or last as everybody else had pulled out.XXXAlthough I felt disappointed with my race, I realised the group of young guys in the break was fairly strong and that with my present form I will only survive rides like that if I take a more "conservative" approach.XXXNow, it is back to getting a training program together, a few more Open events, the State Titles and the big one in September - Grafton to Inverell.

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